Chapter 1 - The Wind on the SandThe wind on the Oregon coast carried salt and cold spray, whipping through the coastal grass. I stood near the tide line, looking toward the horizon while trying to forget the mountain of unpaid invoices sitting on my desk.
“Were you staring, or just pretending to look at the ocean?” Olivia asked, holding her shirt against the wind.
A decent man would have apologized, looked at the sand, and walked straight into the cold surf out of sheer embarrassment.
Instead, I laughed.
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My name is Ethan Parker. At thirty-four, I was a freelance graphic designer living in a cramped second-floor apartment four blocks from the beach. I told people I enjoyed creative freedom, but the reality was instant noodles over a glowing keyboard and chasing clients who vanished when bills came due.
Olivia Hayes lived right next door. For five months, she was just a quiet neighbor—poised, polite, and reserved. But standing on the beach that evening, her hair blowing wildly across her face, she was human, vulnerable, and completely unforgettable.
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